U.S. life expectancy hits a new high of 78

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. life expectancy is the highest it has ever been at 77.9 years, according to government statistics released on Wednesday.

Both men and women gained, but women still live on average more than five years longer than men, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

Death rates also fell, with the age-adjusted death rate dropping to 760.3 deaths per 100,000 people.

"The 2007 increase in life expectancy, up from 77.7 in 2006, represents a continuation of a trend," the CDC said in a statement. "Over a decade, life expectancy has increased 1.4 years from 76.5 years in 1997 to 77.9 in 2007."

Newborn baby boys can expect to live to be 75 on average and girls can expect to be 80. "For the first time, life expectancy for black males reached 70 years," the CDC said.

Overall, 2,423,995 people died in the United States in 2007, 2,269 fewer than in 2006.

Most Americans die of heart disease or cancer -- they accounted for 48.5 percent of all deaths in 2007. Death rates fell slightly for influenza and pneumonia, murder and accidents.

But the death rate for the fourth-leading cause of death, chronic lower respiratory diseases such as emphysema, increased by 1.7 percent.